An Ellsworth family received a terrifying and unwelcome surprise in the middle of the night when a drunk driver crashed a vehicle into their house early Sunday morning.

According to Nick and Melissa Frion, who live with their two children in the 400 block of West Overlook Drive in Ellsworth, they were awoken at 2:21 a.m. Sunday, Sept. 14 when a vehicle crashed through the wall into their spare bedroom. One of their children was asleep in a different room on the same floor at the time. Melissa said their reaction was shock and disbelief when they saw the “huge hole” in their house.

Alyssa Rose Puhalla, 18, Hudson, was ordered to pay $1,000 cash bond Sept. 15 in Pierce County Circuit Court on a felony second degree recklessly endangering safety charge. She is also charged with failure to keep a vehicle under control, OWI-first and underage drinking/alcohol possession. If convicted of the felony, she faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and/or fines up to $25,000.

According to the complaint:

Police were dispatched at 2:21 a.m. to the 400 block of West Overlook Drive in Ellsworth for the crash. None of the home’s four occupants were injured. One of the homeowners told police that two occupants were in the 2024 Kia K5, later identified as Puhalla and passenger Logan Bradley Krumenauer, 20, Ellsworth. The vehicle had driven through the west wall of the home and come to a stop in a basement bedroom. Tire tracks through the yard showed the vehicle had been traveling east on West Overlook Drive when it failed to make a right turn, left the street, drove through the yard and hit the house at a high rate of speed.

Inside the house, police found Puhalla and Krumenauer still seated in the vehicle, which was suspended 3-4 feet off the ground; the rear passenger tire was resting on the home’s foundation, while the front of the vehicle was held up by an interior wall. A mattress and multiple household items were destroyed beneath the vehicle. Police also believe the home’s structural integrity to be compromised based on the damage they found.

Ellsworth Fire and EMS arrived to remove the occupants safely from the vehicle. Puhalla told officers she’d been driving more than 60 mph in a posted 25 mph zone. She told officers she was coming from Ellsworth (she was in Ellsworth) but later changed her answer to River Falls. At first she denied drinking, but then said she’d had “a little bit” to drink five hours prior. Officers noted her slurred speech. They learned Pierce County deputies had stopped the pair at 2:04 a.m. for speeding, when Krumenauer was driving. After the traffic stop, Puhalla took over the wheel.

When EMS arrived, Puhalla complained of pain in her right ankle/foot. She also had bloodshot, watery eyes and smelled of alcohol. EMS transported her to River Falls Area Hospital for medical clearance and a blood draw. Due to her injuries, she did not perform field sobriety tests.

Krumenauer also had bloodshot, watery eyes, slurred speech and smelled of alcohol. A preliminary breath test revealed a blood alcohol content level of 0.137.

Puhalla again told officers she was driving “very fast,” estimating her speed to be 60 or 70 mph. She declined to answer where she’d been drinking and said she didn’t feel drunk. After the hospital released her, she was transported to Pierce County Jail. Krumenauer had been cited for underage drinking/alcohol possession and released.

The homeowners told police their insurance agent recommended they stay elsewhere until the home is deemed structurally sound. They confirmed they were displaced from the home to a hotel.

“What's next?” Melissa said. “Lots of paperwork and to get our house done before winter.”

The total amount of the damages is not yet known.

Puhalla is scheduled to appear at a preliminary hearing at 8:30 a.m. Sept. 23 in Pierce County Circuit Court.